Tension adjuster for clipper heads



Sept. 4, 1962 D. D. RING TENSION ADJUSTER FOR CLIPPER HEADS Filed June 25, 1961 89 in A 4/ V\ M T 4 4 VM A 4/ K 5 m o 5 4 IE-Hg-S INV EN TOR.

m, m m G i m Q 3 0 M N c m% United States Patent 9 3,052,025 TENSION ADJUSTER FOR CLIPPER HEADS Donald D. Ring, 315 E. 6th St., Grand Island, Nebl'. Filed June 23, 1961, Ser. No. 119,081 6 (Ilaims. (Cl. 30221) This invention relates to a novel adjuster for the springs of heads of electric hair clippers.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an adjuster of the kind indicated which enables accurate and balanced compensatory adjustments of the tension of arms of clipper head springs where the springs fail to exert adequate tension on the movable blade of a clipper head, due to loss of tension by the spring, wear of the movable and/or stationary blades, or reduction in thickness of the blades resulting from regrinding of the blades.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple; eflicient, and easily used adjuster of the character indicated above, which is adapted to be easily mounted on the stationary blade of a clipper head, as on the socketforming strap of an Oster type of clipper head, such as is disclosed in Patent No. 2,928,171 dated March 15, 1960'.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an adjuster of the character indicated above, which involves tension adjusting screws, to bear on sides of the clipper head springs, which are individually and independently adjustable, and lockable, whereby the tension of the spring can be accurately and evenly adjusted so as to eliminate unbalanced tension on the movable blade of a clipper head.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and theaccompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a clipper head equipped with a tension adjuster of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, an electric hair clipper head is shown, which comprises a lower stationary blade 12 having a longitudinal channel 14, in its underside, along which slides an upper movable blade 16, which is narrower than the stationary blade 12. Midway between the ends the movable blade 16 is formed, in its edge 18, remote from its teeth 20, with a notch which is composed of a relatively narrow parallel sided portion 22 and a wider flared portion 24. The notch, with a socket-forming strap 26, on the upper side of the stationary blade 12, forms a socket for receiving the oscillating drive tongue (not shown) of an electric clipper, whereby the movable blade 16 is reciprocated endwise relative to the stationary blade 12, in the operation of the clipper.

The outer side of the movable blade 16 is formed with a longitudinal groove 28, located between the teeth 20 and the edge 18, in which is seated longitudinally a nylon bead 30 on the adjacent edge of the bight portion or cross member 32 of a U-shaped spring 34. The spring 34 has outwardly bowed arms 36, extending laterally from the ends of the cross member 34, which are out of contact with the movable blade 16. The spring arms 36 have free end portions 38 which are secured by means of screws 40 passing therethrough and through end portions 42 of the socket-forming strap 26 and threaded into the station- ."ice

ary blade 12. The central portion 43 of the strap 26 is spaced from the stationary blade 12.

The strap 26 has ears 44 on its ends which extend inwardly over the movable blade 16, the ears extending downwardly from the strap 26 at right angles thereto.

The foregoing structure forms no part of the present invention except in combination therewith.

In accordance with the present invention, the ears 44 are made to serve as supports for mounting means of tension adjuster members 46, which comprise primary nuts 48 which can be lateral lugs extending horizontally from the outer sides of the cars 44, as shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, provided with threaded bores 49 extending therethrough, and overlying the spring arms 36. Tension adjusting means in the form of threaded adjuster members or screws 50, preferably having Allen type sockets 52, in their outer ends, are threaded through the bores 49 and have rounded inner ends 54, which bear against the undersides of the spring 36, at points intermediate the ends thereof. Lock nuts 56 are threaded on the screws 50, from their outer ends, and bear against the lugs 48 so as to lock the screws 50 in adjusted position.

In use and operation, whenever the tension of the springs 34 on the movable blade 16, is insufficient for proper cutting action, the lock nuts 56 are loosened and the screws 50 turned, so as to push against the spring arms 36 and thereby increase the pressure of the head 30 of the spring 34 in the groove 28 of the movable blade 16. The screws 50 are turned in or out of the lug bores 4-9 until the bead 30 exerts uniform or balanced pressure, throughout its length, in the groove 28, whereat the lock nuts 56 are retightened to retain the adjusted po sitions of the screws 50 and thereby the adjusted tension of the spring 34.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements. of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric hair clipper head, a stationary blade, a movable blade slidably engaged with one side of and reciprocable endwise relative to the stationary blade, a spring fixed to the stationary blade and having arms overlying the movable blade, and adjuster means movably mounted on the stationary blade and bearing against the spring arms.

2. In an electric hair clipper head, a stationary blade, a movable blade slidably engaged with one side of and reciprocable endwise relative to the stationary blade, a spring fixed to the stationary blade and having arms overlying the movable blade, and adjuster means mounted on the stationary blade and bearing against the spring arms comprising screw means threadedly carried by the stationary blade.

3. In an electric hair clipper head, a stationary blade, a movable blade slidably engaged with one side of and reciprocable endwise relative to the stationary blade, a spring fixed to the stationary blade and having arms overlying the movable blade, mounting means on said stationary blade, and adjuster means mounted on the mounting means and bearing against the spring arms, comprising threaded adjuster members carried by the mounting means, and lock nut means on the threaded adjuster members adapted to be tightened against the mounting means.

4. In combination, an electric hair clipper head comprising a stationary blade having a toothed edge, a movable blade slidably bearing against one side of the stationary blade and having a toothed edge, said movable blade being narrower than the stationary blade and posi- V tioned along the toothed edge of the stationary blade and spaced from the other edge of the stationary blade, the other edge of the movable blade having a central notch, a strap fixed on said one side of the stationary blade between the movable blade and the other edge of the stationary blade and having a central portion facing said notch to define a socket for an actuator tongue, a U- shaped spring having a cross member disposed longitudinally of the movable blade and lateral arms on the ends of the cross member, the spring legs being outwardly bowed out of contact with the movable blade and having free end portions, said free end portions being secured to said one side of the stationary blade at the ends of the central portion of the strap, the outer side of the movable blade having a longitudinal groove in which the cross member of the spring bears, outstanding ears on opposite ends of said central portion, lateral lugs on said ears overlying and spaced from the spring arms, and tension against the spring arms at locations intermediate their arms.

5. In combination, an electric hair clipper head comprising a stationary blade having a toothed edge, a movable blade slidably bearing against one side of the stationary blade and having a toothed edge, said movable blade being narrower than the stationary blade and positioned along the toothed edge of the stationary blade and spaced from the other edge of the stationary blade, the other edge of the movable blade having a central notch, a strap fixed on said one side of the stationary blade between the movable blade and the other edge of the stationary blade and having a central portion facing said notch to define a socket for an actuator tongue, a U- shaped spring having a cross member disposed longitudinally of the movable blade and lateral arms on the ends of the cross member, the spring legs being outwardly bowed out of contact with the movable blade and having free end portions, said free end portions being secured to said one side of the stationary blade at the ends of the central portion of the strap, the outer side of the movable blade having a longitudinal groove in which the cross member of the spring bears, outstanding ears on opposite ends of said central portions, lateral lugs on said ears overlying and spaced from the spring arms, and tension 4 adjuster members on said lugs bearing against the spring arms, said tension adjuster members comprising screws threaded through said lugs and having inner ends bearing against the spring arm at locations intermediate their ends.

6. In combination, an electric hair clipper head comprising a stationary blade having a toothed edge, a movable blade slidably bearing against one side of the stationary blade and having a toothed edge, said movable blade being narrower than the stationary blade and positioned along the toothed edge of the stationary blade and spaced from the other edge of the stationary blade, the other edge of the movable blade having a central notch, a strap fixed on said one side of the stationary blade between the movable blade and the other edge of the stationary blade and having a central portion facing said notch to define a socket for an actuator tongue, a U- shaped spring having a cross member disposed longitudinally of the movable blade and lateral arms on the ends of the cross member, the spring legs being outwardly bowed out of contact with the movable blade and having free end portions, said free end portions being secured to said one side of the stationary blade at the ends of the central portion of the strap, the outer side of the movable blade having a longitudinal groove in which the cross member of the spring bears, outstanding ears on opposite ends of said central portion, lateral lugs on said ears overlying'and spaced from the spring arms, and tension adjuster members on said lugs bearing against the spring arms, said tension adjuster members comprising screws threaded through said lugs and having inner ends bearing against the spring arms at locations intermediate their ends, and lock nuts threaded on the outer ends of the screws and bearing against the lugs.

References Qitezl in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,189 Gillette Oct. 22, 1895 1,505,333 Gray Aug. 19, 1924 1,764,614 Dremel June 17, 1930 1,888,688 Oster Nov. 22, 1932 1,956,042 Oster Apr. 24, 1934 2,928,171 Oster Mar. 15, 1960 

